Pyramid Lake opened with a bang, tons of big fish were caught, and it appears as though the 30 pound mark may have been broken. We saw lots of fish over 20 pounds and plenty of numbers as well. The weather was a little cooler than normal and the worries about the conditions soon were squashed by hungry fish chasing minnows.
The biggest downside to the opening week was that the lake turned over and the nice weather and lack of wind kept the very thick and ugly grass like algae all along the west side of the lake. It covered the top 2 feet of the water column and pushed the minnows down and spread everything out. This did affect the fishing for sure, but it may have also just been the lack of wind and current that sometimes slowed down the fishing. Yesterday’s wind event at the lake seems to have pushed the algae away from shore and maybe even broken it up enough that it won’t be a problem going forward.
The current and the chop were controlling the fishing for the most part just like always at Pyramid Lake. If you know how to use the wind and current to your advantage, it helps a ton. We were able to find large numbers of fish schooling and chasing minnows and it made a huge difference in our success.
The water temperatures on October 9th were in the mid 60’s on the surface. This is just about right for early season success. The worry was the cooler weather would cool off the water which starts the minnow migration back into the middle of the lake along with the trout. This is well explained in our most recent video and article on fishing Pyramid Lake in 2023-24
44323F40-C890-4CAF-8391-6130E6B38D1A.MOV – Google Drive
Pyramid Lake Forecast 2023 and the Future of the Lake | Pyramid Lake Fly Fishing
The best fishing was done on the beaches with the deepest drop-offs for ladder and shore fisherman. The fish and minnows were pretty close the first week and the shore fishing was better than normal on beaches like blockhouse, Sand hole and popcorn. The best results for sure as they are every year was from anglers fishing from Pontoon Boats and Float tubes. Fish were stacked in 15-30 feet of water and the fast sinking line set up with balanced minnows as the main fly. Fishing right on the bottom with very fast retrieves and back trolling is the way to go.
We had a very successful first week with our early season techniques and our first outing was awesome. We still have two spots available for this weekend’s outing.
Two-day Float Tube Outings | Pyramid Lake Fly Fishing
Look for our fishing reports throughout the season. Our guide service is #1 at the lake for over 20 years now. We pride ourselves in knowing and understanding Pyramid Lake and its changing conditions and seasons. Give us a chance to help you catch the largest trout of your life. It is what we do best. Have a great season everyone. Enjoy!
